# Why don't you wash your hands after using the bathroom? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 17, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655 "2008-12-17T23:59:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/61 "2008-12-18T19:55:27Z")
> [@Acid\_Lamp](#): > > Hasn’t hurt me in 29 years, I doubt it’s going to hurt me ever. You may have noticed that there are other people on the planet? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/62 "2008-12-18T19:56:17Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > It seems like many people did not read Cecil’s column that I and others linked to previously in this thread. So, in case you missed it: (bolding mine) > > Now, he’s talking about men only here, but I think the same principle applies generally. I’m not a major germaphobe by any stretch, but really, it’s just common courtesy. I know I’ll probably get a bunch of people responding that “I’m clean, I shower every day, I wash my privates, etc. - what’s the big deal?” It’s not a big deal, but as Cecil explains, you’re not clean, so it makes sense to wash up (nasty and disgusting sinks excepted, of course). My proposed experiment would surely clear this up once and for all (see post #30 above). I don’t doubt that there are coliform bacteria present in your nether regions. But, as a woman, when I pee, I never make contact with my skin or my naughty bits. So would my hands be still be contaminated just from the process of urinating alone? This is the question my experiment seeks to answer. Cecil’s reply does not answer this specifically. By the way, it’s a wonder men ever get blowjobs, with all the horrible bacteria crawling around down there!! I mean, how do women who give head ever survive?!! Seriously though, I have never ever gotten ill after the numerous times I have pleasured my boyfriend over the years. So if putting that whole area into one’s mouth isn’t enough to make one sick… how is just touching one small part of one’s penis briefly while urinating so dangerous? Since the SDMB is about fighting ignorance, I really wish that an experiment like I proposed could settle this debate once and for all! ---
**Author:** ![gurujulp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba9def/32.png) [@gurujulp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gurujulp)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/63 "2008-12-18T19:56:26Z")
> [@gravitycrash](#): > > I hardly ever do at home, I showered and the little guy is clean. I don’t make it a habit of peeing on my hands. I normally do in public restrooms except if there are no paper towels and just the God awful hand dryers, those just piss me off and I end up drying my hands on my pants. You normally make a habit of peeing on your hands in public restrooms except if there are no paper towels, etc!?! I just had to… ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_of\_the\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@Lady\_of\_the\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_of_the_Lake)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/64 "2008-12-18T20:16:32Z")
> [@nyctea scandiaca](#): > > My proposed experiment would surely clear this up once and for all (see post #30 above). I don’t doubt that there are coliform bacteria present in your nether regions. But, as a woman, when I pee, I never make contact with my skin or my naughty bits. So would my hands be still be contaminated just from the process of urinating alone? This is the question my experiment seeks to answer. Cecil’s reply does not answer this specifically. My understanding is that the bacteria was transferred to your underwear and the clothing pressing onto those areas of your skin. When you go to the bathroom you then touch the underwear and move stuff around. However, I am not a scientist - I just remember a learning channel documentary about the laundry room (and kitchen sink) being dirtier than the bathroom - the laundry room due to ‘fecal matter on underwear’ - the same underwear that you and I have to touch to go to the bathroom. I’d love some clarification as well, as this has merely been my understanding. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/65 "2008-12-18T20:22:29Z")
By Cecil’s rationale, we should be washing our hands every time we masturbate or have sex. Um, am I the only one who doesn’t do that? ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/66 "2008-12-18T20:26:00Z")
I give and receive oral sex, a lot of us do. How is this any less ‘risky’? ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_of\_the\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@Lady\_of\_the\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_of_the_Lake)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/67 "2008-12-18T20:36:19Z")
> [@EmAnJ](#): > > I give and receive oral sex, a lot of us do. How is this any less ‘risky’? In the same linked article that others have linked to [Cecil’s hand washing column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1043/why-are-men-supposed-to-wash-their-hands-after-urination), it’s not any less risky. The article says: _But the truth is you can catch lots of bugs via oral sex. Many of them are transmitted by, or have their transmission facilitated by, coliform or other fecal bacteria or, for that matter, fecal viruses. There’s no point in stopping now though. You can catch most of the same germs from intercourse, kissing, or simply holding hands._ ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/68 "2008-12-18T21:12:52Z")
> [@Acid\_Lamp](#): > > To be frank, I’m an asshole and I don’t care if you precious snowflakes get the sniffles. Cool, I get to quote myself. Like I said, if I’m prepping food, I’ll wash up, otherwise you lot can deal. Your fears are unreasonable and you are extremely unlikely to catch e-coli or some other devastating illness from touching something that someone who didn’t wash up touched hours ago is pretty minute. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/69 "2008-12-18T21:22:31Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > I also sit on the public toilet seat, and I pee in the shower! Same here. I wash my hands after using the bathroom at work or in other public places. At home, I don’t unless there’s someone visiting, or unless I am cooking. I do wash my hands regularly though, like after eating, to keep my hands clean for quilting. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/70 "2008-12-18T22:17:25Z")
> [@fervour](#): > > I think those of you who are over concerned about the state of cleanliness of other people’s hands are operating under an offensive strategy. You are trying to kill the germs before they can attack you. I do take a “defensive” strategy against germs in my own life. I work in a hospital, so I constantly have to touch germ-ridden objects. It’s not a big deal for my own sake, since I know how to protect myself against the fact that much of the general public’s hygiene standards are barely one step above feces-flinging chimpanzees at the zoo. I very rarely get sick in spite of frequent exposure to all sorts of nasty diseases, and I attribute that to my vigilance about handwashing and using masks/gloves/etc. when called for. However, I am still very angry when I hear about other people’s ignorance and laziness about washing their hands, since those who don’t wash their hands are putting at risk many innocent people in the community who don’t know how to protect themselves and/or might have fragile immune systems. We all end up touching things that other people will touch, and some kinds of bacteria can live on surfaces for weeks or even months (one reason it’s a good idea to wash your hands even in your own home, unless you are a shut-in who grows all your own food and never deals with mainstream society). Every time you decide it’s not worth 30 seconds to clean the traces of your own genital bacteria and/or feces from your hands, you are telling the world that you don’t care if you kill someone in your community who is very young, elderly, on chemotherapy or other immune-suppressing treatment, etc. Unfortunately, even some healthcare workers who should know better don’t think of washing their hands between patients. I once worked with an oncologist who would do physical exams on dozens of immune-compromised chemotherapy patients every day and never bothered to wash his hands from one patient to the next. He was a good doctor in most ways, but just because of his hygiene practices I would not want a loved one to be treated by him. Poor [Dr. Semmelweis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis) would be turning over in his grave if he knew so many people _still_ don’t get that unclean hands spread disease and can even kill. ---
**Author:** ![gravitycrash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@gravitycrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gravitycrash)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/71 "2008-12-18T23:21:47Z")
> [@gurujulp](#): > > You normally make a habit of peeing on your hands in public restrooms except if there are no paper towels, etc!?! > > I just had to… I knew when I wrote that, somebody would bite me on the ass for the poor sentence structure. It was only a matter of time.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Diz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/87869e/32.png) [@Diz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diz)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/72 "2008-12-19T01:10:14Z")
You’ll have your revenge. The germs he picked up will surely kill him 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/73 "2008-12-19T01:40:45Z")
Okay, I get why we have gross genitals, and stuff, but if washing your hands post peeing is a matter of the common good, why do so few people wash their hands after handling their genitals in a sexual way? ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/74 "2008-12-19T01:55:08Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Okay, I get why we have gross genitals, and stuff, but if washing your hands post peeing is a matter of the common good, why do so few people wash their hands after handling their genitals in a sexual way? Because we don’t have the same sort of social taboo about sexual activity as we do with excretory functions. Sex is viewed as a positive thing (for the most part) that can also be “icky” to some folks. Urinating and defecating are considered to be gross pretty much universally ( fetishists exempted). The logic doesn’t make sense but it goes: Sex=good- good=clean- clean=not dirty, no need for cleansing Elimination=bad/gross- gross=dirty- dirty= need for cleansing ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/75 "2008-12-19T02:28:01Z")
I rarely use public bathrooms. I almost never wash my hands. Life goes on. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the\_deuce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/71e660/32.png) [@What\_the\_deuce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the_deuce)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/76 "2008-12-19T03:19:01Z")
I find it interesting to see others agree also dislike electric hand dryers. I thought it was just me that thought paper towels were better. Also, although we have immune systems, they’re not perfect. I’m sure we all have family members who’ve died of infectious diseases. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/77 "2008-12-19T04:12:39Z")
I wash my hands. I wash them at home. I wash them at work. I wash them in public bathrooms and scrub extra-hard to get public bathroom soap scent off my skin. It can’t hurt. It can help. And I like the feeling of clean hands. ---
**Author:** ![bink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/439d5e/32.png) [@bink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bink)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/78 "2008-12-19T19:21:21Z")
I would wash my hands more if more public bathrooms had warm water and paper towels. If there’s just cold water and one of those damned useless blow dryers I’ll skip it. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/79 "2008-12-19T19:24:08Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Okay, I get why we have gross genitals, and stuff, but if washing your hands post peeing is a matter of the common good, why do so few people wash their hands after handling their genitals in a sexual way? I do wash my hands and clean up down there after masturbating. Not so much after sex but that is mostly because we are being kissy and snuggly and I am not about to ruin that afterglow with the need to clean up afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655/80 "2008-12-19T20:26:49Z")
I always wash in public or work restrooms, not always at home. Most of the time, though, and always when I’m about to deal with food. I also sit on public toilets, though not ones that are disgusting or splattered (unless I’m desperate, I won’t even wipe those off with TP first–it’s not my job to clean up some slob’s mess). I find “ass gaskets” annoying–seems like I’m the only person on earth who can’t get them to work as intended (hang the little flap part down into the water so when you flush it takes the whole thing down–no, some part always ends up sticking when I stand up.) Eventually I just decided that my immune system works and I’m unlikely to get something from sitting carefully on an un-gasketed toilet. And I never have, so I must be doing something right. 🙂 Oh, and my cats walk all over my counters. Which isn’t the big deal it sounds, since I hardly ever cook. On the rare occasions I do, I clean the counters first. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom/477655.md?page=5)